Trafalgar River Cruise officially launched with two christening ceremonies in Europe at the weekend and the ‘start-up’ line has confirmed plans to have six ships in service by 2028—with the target of having a fleet of 10 river ships by 2029. 
The plan is certainly ambitious, but armed with the land touring pedigree of Trafalgar and some insights from sister brand Uniworld, TTC Tour Brands’ deputy ceo and & chief sales officer Melissa DaSouza says the aim is to offer an accessible, premium value-for-money river offering, with the Trafalgar level of service and an immersive product.
. . . The Fleet
Trafalgar River is initially operating two former Uniworld ships, with a third coming—and two new-build ships are under construction.
The Trafalgar Verity (previously the River Queen) is now sailing on the Rhine and Trafalgar Reverie (formerly River Princess) is operating on the Danube.
These ships will be joined by the Trafalgar Harmonie (currently operating as Uniworld’s River Duchess) which will set sail on the Seine from Apr.
The two new-build ships under construction in the Netherlands, are due for completion in 2028, says Trafalgar River Cruise vice president Damien O’Connor.
While the finer details of the ships (and where they will operate) are still under wraps, O’Connor did say the vessels will be larger, at 180-passengers, with interconnecting cabins for families and solo cabins to capture the growing solo traveller segment.
O’Connor also has flagged rivers such as the Douro, as potential destinations for its rapidly expanding fleet.
The cruise executive, who joined the company in Oct and is charged with driving the new brand forward at pace, stressed that its new ships will not be box-like cookie cutter ships, but will have their own Trafalgar look and feel.
The line is also developing onboard entertainment, designed to get passengers to socialise, he added.
Both Verity and Harmonie have undergone a soft refurb ahead of the brand’s launch and the onboard offering will continue to evolve in response to feedback, says O’Connor.
There are already said to be some tweaks to the product underway.
. . . Impressed
House of Travel’s gm of cruise Jeff Leckey was on board the Verity christening cruise and says he’s impressed with the product—and the very competitive pricing in the market.
The onboard dining and service surpassed his expectations, he says, adding that ‘I think agents can really sell this with confidence’.
